


Un-Happy Valentine's Day

by Canadian_BuckBeaver



Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Arguing, Drunkenness, Fontcest, Heavy Angst, M/M, No Porn, No Smut, One-sided fight, Suicidal Thoughts, Suicide, Yelling, edgeberry
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-22
Packaged: 2018-09-24 03:01:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9696791
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Canadian_BuckBeaver/pseuds/Canadian_BuckBeaver
Summary: Papyrus is sick of Sans lazy attitude, puns and ketchup, and not being a part of the Royal Guard.  His frustrations has been building since the beginning of the resets.  On a particularly bad day, he unintentionally tells Sans to be more like Berry.





	1. UnHappy Valentine's Day - Part 1

February fourteenth wasn't as it was all cracked up to be in the Underground, especially for our favourite cinnamon roll, Papyrus.  Papyrus was having a really bad day.  One of the worst that he could remember – during the genocide runs he never remembered any of the days coming up to when the human killed him.

 Only Sans did.

  
This day wasn’t Sans’ fault.  At least, not completely.  Sans didn’t go out of his way to have night terrors and keep Papyrus up for the majority of the night.  But then Papyrus’ alarm clock didn’t go off on time, meaning both he and Sans (since he didn’t wake up without him) were now late for patrol.  No time for either breakfast or coffee.  But, even as he rushed around his bedroom like a mad skeleton, Sans had tried to roll over on the bed and go back to sleep.  He just didn’t understand that he needed to go, no matter what Papyrus said to him.  It was infuriating.

  
The annoying dog had stolen his special attack again. Of course it wasn’t during his private training session wither with Undyne, by himself or even with Sans.  No, of course he was in front of a few of the other Royal Guardsmen, trying to show off his skill.  He had been hoping that at least a couple of them would have been impressed and talked some sense into Undyne.  But no, they had only laughed at him as he had chased the mutt around, trying to get it back.  Papyrus’ face had burned with shame.  After all this time it was unthinkable that he still wasn’t a part of this prestigious group.  Even Undyne had begrudgingly said that he was well trained and had excellent control over his magic.  It made no sense to Papyrus that he could be that great and still unable to join.  She always had a new excuse for him.  Papyrus himself was beginning to wonder if Sans had any say in it.  He had secretly admitted to Papyrus, of course while he was drunk, that he was worried about him joining them, but that was all.

  
Then, as he was doing his rounds, while he was still mad at that damn mutt, he came across Sans fast asleep at his sentry post.  He had woken him up, and Sans had acted like it was no big deal, even shooting him a wink and pun.  Didn’t he know that anything that he did reflected upon Papyrus?  Moreover, those puns were really beginning to irk Papyrus.  They were just rubbing him the wrong way, more and more these days.  Perhaps it was because that, now that he and Sans were ‘together’, he had made them more graphic or romantic sounding.  According to the Dating Manual it meant that your partner cared about you.  Showing that you were on their mind and was simply looking for your attention.

  
But Papyrus, he just despised them.  And Sans… he knew it and yet he said them anyways.

  
The next time he had walked around the post, Sans was nowhere to be seen.  Papyrus tried not to panic.  Sure Sans was a single HP monster but he had proven, time and time again, that he was strong and wouldn’t go down easily, if at all.  He would put up a good fight.  Besides, this was the Tale universe!  Not as fluffy as the Swap universe, but nowhere as dangerous as the Fell universe.  Swap Sans, or Berry as he preferred to be called, visited Papyrus from time to time.  Papyrus found that he actually enjoyed talking to the little blue skeleton.  Like Papyrus, he too was hoping to soon join the Royal Guard and enjoyed cooking, and they both hated their older brother’s puns and tricks.  Berry though, had shared many horrific stories from the Fell universe when he went to visit his boyfriend, the Fell Papyrus, or Boss.  Though he had not yet met him, Papyrus felt as if he knew Boss though Berry’s stories about him.  Boss often protected Berry many times from these foul, evil creatures that were hungry, starving for LOVE.  Papyrus had noticed that as he talked about Boss Berry’s eyes would fill with stars, leaving him feeling oddly disappointed.  He couldn’t be jealous of this Boss, could he?  He had his own Sans.  Sure Berry met all his standards and was taken, but so did his Sans… right?  He found himself questioning that more and more as the days went on.

  
Papyrus, after looking frantically in the area around the station, had found him in Grillby’s, saying those same awful jokes to the intoxicated crowd.  Their stupid, drunken laughter encouraged him into making even more.  Papyrus had closed the door on them, groaning.  Sans was already a little tipsy.  He hoped that Grillby wouldn’t call him to pick him up again.  Sans always got a more than a little flirty when he did, despite Papyrus telling him that they had to be careful.  Though Sans had told him time and time again that their relationship was nothing to be ashamed of, that it was one to be cherished and enjoyed, he always felt the bartender’s judgemental gaze on them as they left.  The world still viewed them as biological brothers, even if they weren’t.  Technically they were merely skeleton creatures ‘born’ of Gaster’s experiments and magic.

  
Then, during training, real training this time, not cooking or watching anime, Papyrus had asked Undyne if he could join the Guards.  She had actually snapped at him, telling him that he needed more training, more speed and more flexibility with his attacks.  That he was too predictable and too hard headed.  Then, even as he recoiled from her harsh words, she dealt another blow.  She told him that he was too soft to ever join them.  Too friendly to other creatures.  That she could easily see him giving mercy to an underserving creature, even as it ran at him with a knife.  Before he could say another word, she had turned and marched into her house, banging the door shut with a loud slam.

  
He had walked home then, too shocked and hurt to say anything to anyone else.  He barely remembered the walk either.  It seemed like he had merely blinked and he was at his and Sans’ house.  Opening the door, he wasn’t sure what to expect.

  
Sans was fast asleep on the couch, an open bottle of ketchup in his hand… dangling over the couch and it slowly dripping onto the carpet.  Papyrus saw that another sock had the ‘sock collection’ on the floor of the living room.  Papyrus felt himself grow angry but forced himself to be sensible and quiet.  Instead, he made his way straight to the kitchen to begin making his spaghetti, only to realize that Sans hadn’t gone to the store as he had asked.  He was missing tomatoes, salt, pepper, noodles, beef, onions, oil… everything really to make his favourite noodle dish.  With a groan, he looked through their empty cupboards again as the store would be closed by now.  To his disgust he found only two cans of beans.  So much for the special-spaghetti that he had planned on making for his boyfriend on this day.  Papyrus hated beans, hated them with a passion.  He had no idea why or how they were even in the cupboard.  But they were better than nothing.

  
With a sigh he took the cans down and began to grate the cheese he had found in the fridge.  The calcium would be good, make it a more wholesome and filling meal, perhaps tasty if he was lucky.

  
“ **heh. _bean_ a while since we had those, Paps**.” a lazy, sleep hoarse voice said behind him.

  
Papyrus, spinning around saw that Sans had moved himself from the couch and was sitting at the table, still drinking the stupid ketchup.  “SHUT UP SANS…” Papyrus said warningly, still angry over the day’s happenings.

  
“ **don’t you mean, ‘ _can_ it, Sans’?** ” he asked then, giving him a little wink too.

  
“SANS….” growled Papyrus warningly, dumping the beans into a pot and setting it on the stove, realizing upon reaching for his spoon that Sans didn’t do the dishes as he had asked.  Instead Papyrus made due with one of the last clean utensils in the drawer, a fork.

  
**“well i guess that would be a little _cheesy_ now that you mention it**.” the smaller skeleton said thoughtfully.

  
“SANS! THAT’S ENOUGH!” Papyrus exclaimed, whirling around and stomping his foot.  He really was at the edge of his rope here… one more pun…

  
“ **what’s the matter, Paps?  can’t take a _fork_ -ing joke?**” as Papyrus screamed, Sans merely chuckled.  “ **come on Pap, these are** _ **humer**_ **-ous at least.  or did you hurt your funny bone again in training?** ”

  
Papyrus snapped then.  He really lost it.  Screaming, he grabbed the pot handle, he hurled the disgusting mess of so-called beans and cheese, against a wall, causing them to drip down.

  
Sans took notice then.  “ **Paps…?”** he asked, opening his mouth to continue, but Papyrus wouldn’t let him.

  
Slamming his hands down on the table, Papyrus crouched to meet Sans’ sockets.  “I DON’T ASK FOR TOO MUCH FROM YOU, DO I SANS?” Papyrus demanded of him.

  
“ **well… no…** ” Sans admitted, his eye socket lights looking down, almost in a slightly ashamed gesture.  Good.  Papyrus was finally getting through to him.

  
“SO WHEN I ASK YOU TO STOP MAKING THOSE HORRID PUNS, IS IT REALLY TOO HARD OF YOU TO RESPECT MY FEELINGS AND JUST STOP?” he asked, still angry.

  
Sans’s opened and closed his jaw a bit.   **“it’s… it’s what i’m good at Paps…** ” he said, rather lamely, sockets still not quite meeting Papyrus’.

  
“YOU’RE GOOD AT OTHER THINGS.” Papyrus said.  Sans looked up, hopeful.  “GOOD AT BEING LAZY, DRINKING KETCHUP, NOT PUTTING AWAY YOUR SOCKS AND SLEEPING THE DAY AWAY.  IS THERE ANY REAL WONDER WHY YOU CAN’T SLEEP AT NIGHT?  YOU SPENDING THE WHOLE DAY SLEEPING REALLY MESSES YOUR SLEEP SCHEDULE, YOU KNOW!”  At each item he listed, Papyrus noticed Sans’ eye lights getting smaller and smaller.

  
Now his bones were slightly trembling.  “ **Paps…** ” he croaked out, “ **Paps… i’m…** ”

  
“YOU’RE WHAT?  YOU’RE SORRY?  I’VE HEARD YOU SAY SORRY A MILLION TIMES SANS, NOT THAT YOU EVER MEAN IT.  YOU ALWAYS MAKE ANOTHER PUN AND IF YOU LOOK OUT AT OUR LIVING ROOM ANOTHER SOCK HAS JOINED YOUR ‘COLLECTION’.”  Papyrus snapped.

  
“ **i…”** Sans said, “ **i just… enjoy teasing you…”** he said, his voice breaking.

  
“WELL I WOULDN’T MIND A BIT OF TEASING, IF YOU AT THE VERY LEAST DID THE FEW THINGS I ASKED FOR.  LIKE GOING FOR GROCERIES.  FOR THE VALENTINE’S SPAGHETTI THAT I WANTED TO MAKE FOR US TONIGHT.” He prodded.

  
Sans’ lights grew large in his sockets, barely any darkness was seen.  “ **i totally forgot!  i’m so sorry Pap**!”  he whirled around trying to look up at the clock.  “ **i can go right now!  it’s not too late is it?”**

  
“SANS.  YOU SLEPT THE ENTIRE AFTERNOON AWAY.  OF COURSE IT’S TOO LATE FOR THE STORE.  AND EVEN IF YOU HAND’T, THE STORE KEEPER HAD TOLD US EARLY IN THE WEEK THAT HE WAS CLOSING EARLY TODAY FOR VALENTINE’S DAY… OR DID YOU FORGET THAT TOO?” Papyrus demanded.

  
From the look on Sans’ face the answer was painfully obvious.

  
Papyrus dragged a gloved hand down his skull in exasperation.  “UN.  BELIEVABLE”  Papyrus said.  Sans looked down at the table, his eye lights gone again.  “HAS THE KETCHUP REALLY AFFECTED YOU THAT MUCH?” he asked.  Sans didn’t answer.  He just sat there and quivered.  Papyrus grew angrier.  He wanted Sans to say something back to him, have a proper argument.  Not this one-sided spitting match.

 

  
Papyrus wagered he had said enough.  Sans would have a lot to mull through anyways.  As he made his way to the door he muttered quietly to himself “WHY CAN’T HE BE MORE LIKE BERRY?  HE AT LEAST MEETS ALL OF MY STANDARDS.” Before walking out the door, Papyrus decided one last sentence for Sans was in order.  “HAPPY VALENTINE’S DAY SANS!”  He retorted, before slamming the door firmly behind him, Papyrus walked out into the forest.  Recalibrating his puzzles and walking through the forest always helped him cool down.

  
There was one thing he hadn’t counted for though.  Sans had heard his quiet comment.

  
* * * * *

  
Papyrus made his way back to the front door a couple hours later, now happily humming.  He had run into Undyne in the woods and she had apologized for her words.  She had even said that, while she didn’t see him in the front-line Royal Guards, she did see him in another unit.  She and Alphys were actually trying to determine if he would be more suited to the First Aid or Healing Unit, or even the Cooking division.  Someone had to feed the many guards after all!  These were both important jobs for the Guardsman.  She had actually been trying to keep it a surprise for him, but realized that he deserved the truth after all… especially after earlier.

  
But, the important thing was that Papyrus was in a much better mood.  Both talking with Undyne had and his puzzles had helped him cool off from his  fight with Sans, even realizing that he was rather harsh on him.  Papyrus decided that he would apologize to Sans and then finish the plans that they had for Valentine’s Day.  After all, Sans had done many things for Papyrus.  Working three or four jobs when he was younger, giving up food for him, making his awesome battle body and scarf… the list went on and on.  How could he have forgotten all of that?

  
Opening the front door, Papyrus took a moment to stomp off the snow that had gathered on his boots.  Desperate to see Sans or not, there was no excuse for rudeness.  “SANS?” he called out, “SANS!”

  
No answer.  His voice even seemed to echo through the entire house.  That was… that was unusual.  Sans would usually come down and greet him, or be asleep on the couch, waiting for him. Right now he was neither.

  
“SANS!” called Papyrus as he climbed the stairs.  Perhaps he was in his room… opening the door Papyrus saw a naked mattress, the garbage tornado, clothes and books everywhere, but no sign of Sans. Puzzled, Papyrus closed the door and made his way over to his own.  But Sans wasn’t in his racecar bed, his closet or anywhere else in the small room.

  
Papyrus was beginning to worry.  Perhaps his little explosion had hurt him more than he had thought.  As Papyrus made his way down the stairs, something caught his eye in the living room.

  
Or, to be more accurate, a lack of something caught his eye.  
Papyrus walked over to the corner of the room, not believing his sockets.  Both of Sans’ socks were gone, even all their notes covering the one were missing.  The couch too had been cleaned as well.  Now there was no sign of those disgusting ketchup stains.  
Had he been gone that long?  
He didn’t know if, instead of being worried, he should feel relieved.  Sans had listened to him!  He had finally listened to him!  Deciding that he must have gone out for a drink or something to eat at Grillby’s, Papyrus almost his way back upstairs to his room.  
A single piece of paper lay on the kitchen table, with two tickets and a much folded picture of him and Sans when they were much younger.  
Papyrus reached for the familiar picture first, already smiling.  He had an identical one upstairs in one of his frames.  An even smaller Sans, missing one of his teeth, was grinning a real, true smile at the camera, his sockets lidded shut.  He had an arm around a tiny Papyrus, already a large red scarf around his neck.  The picture had been taken right after Christmas when Sans, not Santa, had given him his beloved scarf.  Reaching up he stroked the worn fabric now, smiling as he remembered that precious day.  
Setting the picture to the side he instead picked up the paper, surprised to see Sans’ scrawl on it.

  
‘ **Paps,** ’ it read.  ‘These two tickets are for Mettaton’s live show next month.  Take someone who loves him just as much as you do with you.  Happy Valentine’s Day.  Love, forever and always, Sans.’  Papyrus bit back a happy glee as he looked at the tickets.  Those were good seats too!  Sans had really spoiled him.

 And here Papyrus was going to make him some special spaghetti.

  
He didn’t need sleep now.  He needed to thank Sans, bring him home, and treat him right.  But that led to a very important question.  Where was he?  He wasn’t anywhere in their house so did that mean that he was outside, wandering the Underground?

  
Well.  No matter where he was, Papyrus would find him and bring him home.  
Leaving the house again, he noticed now that there smaller footprints leading away from the house, in the opposite direction as his original.  Sans!  He looked to be headed towards the ‘star caves’ and the echo flowers, not to Grillby’s as originally thought.  That made sense.  Sans only walked there when he was especially upset.  It helped calm him down, especially after a nightmare, seeing the false stars in the sky.  Following Sans’ footprints Papyrus idly hoped that Frisk would be merciful this time and lead them to the surface.  Perhaps they could talk her into not resetting too…

  
Papyrus realized he had made better time than he had thought, already arriving near the echo flower field and the stars.  But, as he made his way through the field, he realized something that made his marrow run cold.  Instead of wishes, the flowers were repeating harsh sobbing sounds.

  
Sans…  Papyrus walked faster until a single echo flower caught his attention.  “ **i just want him to be happy… he deserves it…** ” the flower told Papyrus, in Sans’ voice.

  
Papyrus felt his soul drop.  Sans was hurt more than he had let on after all.

 “SANS!” he called out.

  
“SANS! SANS! SANS!” the flowers repeated back at him.  Papyrus guessed he should be relieved that he no longer heard the crying but….

  
He walked faster, an odd, tight feeling in his soul.  Something was wrong.  Something was very wrong.

  
At the edge of the cliff, overlooking the water he saw a hooded figure, hunched over.  Papyrus felt his soul lose the weight and soar in his chest.  It was Sans!

 He was here after all!

  
As he approached he was about to call out when he heard his lover’s voice.  “ **i’m sorry Pap…** ” the hood said, not turning around to face him.  Probably still upset.

  
“DON’T BE SORRY SANS,” Papyrus said quietly as to not startle him as he approached, his boots helping him make his way quickly through the damp grass.  “AFTER ALL, IT SHOULD BE I THAT IS SORRY…”

  
“ **i’m sorry Pap…** ” he said again.

  
Papyrus frowned. Did Sans not listen to him?  Or was he too immersed in his dark thoughts to understand?  Either way, Papyrus needed to take him away from here.  They could catch a chill and he really didn’t want the echo flowers hearing and repeating any part of their conversation.  “SANS.  LET’S GO HOME… YOU’LL BE MORE COMFORTABLE THERE…” Papyrus began saying as he reached for Sans’ waist.  “WE CAN FIND SOMETHING ELSE TO EAT AND…”

  
The blue-grey jacket came way in his hands, uncovering a large echo flower instead of his beloved Sans.  Papyrus felt his soul stop and freeze once again in his ribs.  “ **i’m sorry Pap…** ” the flower said again.  “ **i’m sorry Pap…  i’m sorry Pap…** ”

  
“SANS?” Papyrus whispered, his sockets filling with orange tears, pulling the jacket close to him.  Disturbingly, he recalled that had always seen Sans’ jacket as a solid blue, never a blue-grey colour.

  
“ **i’m sorry Pap…** ”  the flower said again. Echo flowers were well-known for their talent to repeat the last thing that was said to them and their gorgeous teal petals, but they required a lot of water, which is why they only grew near Waterfall.

  
“ **i’m sorry Pap…** ”  It was a rather large specimen, even for an echo flower.  The stem itself came up to Papyrus’ hip, the head and petals fluttering in the slight breeze, the leaves appearing to reach up at the skeleton.  Alarmingly, it already looked a little dry and wilted.  The water possibly leaving the root system by the large hole beside it, dirt sprayed up and around the hole, as if something had suddenly sprung violently upward from the ground.

  
“ **i’m sorry Pap…** ” the fine grey dust pile hidden by the leaves starting to travel on the breeze, now no longer protected by the hoodie.

  
“ **i’m sorry Pap…** ” the flower said one final time, before picking up and repeating a shrill, soul shattering, desperate scream.  One that traveled through the entire Underground, chilling all who heard it.


	2. Un-Happy Valentine's Day - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> On Valentine's Day Sans had died, losing the battle to his inner demons. But now that the world has reset he has another chance to make things right again... right?
> 
> Some inspiration taken from Ura-Picmurasaki's headcannon! Hopefully you guys enjoy!

Sans, once upon a time, many resets ago, had one admired the human called Albert Einstein.  He was a great scientist, one who had practiced with morals and had been incredibly smart, even for a human, working without the use of magic.  When Sans had worked in the lab with Gaster, there was even his quote hanging on his side of the office.  “Insanity – doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

            How cruel irony was.

            The resets.  The anomaly.  Everyone dying, slaughtered by its hand.  Or, even crueler, reaching the Surface to be sucked down to the pits of hell again.

            Sans now hated that quote.

            He had been so grateful when he realized that Papyrus had remembered some of these resets as well.  Papyrus had been playing along with Sans’ charade, himself thinking that Sans did not recall these loops.  Sans’ soul had lifted in his ribs and he had been able to cry, releasing the hidden tension within him.  He wasn’t alone anymore.

            As the resets continued, Papyrus and he continued their so-called charade in front of the other monsters and their friends, none of them had shown any signs of remembrance or confusion.  Sans was grateful when Papyrus had complained of certain gaps in his memory that aligned when the human had killed him.  Papyrus didn’t deserve that memory.

            Sans realized his feelings for his ‘brother’ around the hundredth reset.  He had been watching Papyrus reset up his rope trap, complaining that he had finally gotten it right last run, when Sans found himself gazing longingly at Papyrus’ exposed bones.  The long, graceful spine.  The strong and sturdy femurs.  The sweet, curving pelvis…  Sans realized he wanted, no, needed more.  As clique as that was, it was true.

            He didn’t dare mention anything for the risk of changing anything between them.  So life went on as normal, or as normal for them as was possible.  Papyrus made spaghetti and ‘trained’ with Undyne.  Sans watched him from afar, watching as his magic control and his moves continued to improve.  Soon he would give the fish woman a run for her money, it was only a matter of time.  Sans spent more time at Grillby’s away from Papyrus in an attempt to distract himself, making his terrible jokes for the patrons.  He always made sure though that he was back home in time to read Papyrus’ a bed time story.  It was a soothing activity for the both of them, even if they could both quote Fluffy Bunny by heart.

            One night, Papyrus had fallen sound asleep before Sans had finished reading for the night.  Sans found that he couldn’t help himself.  He took in the sight of Papyrus sleeping, a little drool escaping his mouth, making his little nyehing snores…

            Papyrus truly was perfect.

            Sans returned the book to the shelf before returning to Papyrus’ side.  He still insisted on wearing the ridiculous eye cover to sleep.  Sans looked up and down the length of bones laying in the small racecar bed before moving closer to them.  “ **good night Paps,** ” he whispered before gently clinking their teeth together before he could think twice of it.  “ **i love you.** ”

            Sans, realizing what he was doing, quickly gathered his senses, and pulled away as quick as he could, but it was already too late.  Long arms had already seized him and tossed him beside Papyrus.  Struggling in the mess of blankets, Sans had tried to sit up, move, get off the bed.  Before he could teleport, a weight settled on his shoulders, pinning him, as long legs straddled his.  Gulping, he looked up he saw a still blindfolded Papyrus, reaching up to remove the eye covering.  Little wisps of orange, escaping his forming pupils, gently smoked out of his sockets as he stared hungrily down at Sans.  “DO YOU KNOW HOW LONG I’VE WAITED FOR YOU TO DO THAT?” asked Papyrus, who leaned down and gently clinked their teeth together.  Sans had whined into the kiss, feeling a long, wet appendage lick at his own teeth. Opening his jaws and forming his own, Papyrus had wasted no time in taking over his mouth, wrapping his tongue around Sans’, claiming him as his.

            From that day on, they were a couple.  Sure they didn’t have the perfect relationship.  That much was obvious.  Sans still annoyed Papyrus by saying his jokes and refusing to pick up his sock. Papyrus drove Sans equally crazy with the amount of energy that he processed.  Still, there were moments where everything was perfect.  Sans wrapped in Papyrus’ arms in a comforting embrace, or even the times were Sans helped Papyrus trained – those were the moments that Sans truly lived for.

            Resets came and went and their bond had only became stronger.  The kid had seemed to sense something was different too.  Soon the resets became pacifist run after pacifist run… it seemed like the kid was finally beginning to tire of playing with the lives of others.  Tired of playing God.  Papyrus and Sans began to hope that the next time would be the last.

            Alas, it wasn’t the case.

            Sans watched from the forest as Papyrus stood on the outskirts of Snowdin, blood red scarf blowing heroically in the wind, like so many times before.  Toriel had reported to Sans, with some confusion, that all the monsters in the ruins were accounted for, down to the last Vegetoid.  Sans had been filled with relief.  Perhaps this was the final time.  For now he watched as Frisk approached Papyrus and became lost in the thick snow fog.  He could only see silhouettes, but he could hear everything.

            “HUMAN.” He heard Paps say, “ALLOW ME TO TELL YOU ABOUT SOME COMPLEX FEELINGS.  THE JOY OF FINDING ANOTHER PASTA LOVER.  THE ADMIRATION FOR ANOTHER’S PUZZLE-SOLVING SKILLS.  THE DESIRE TO HAVE A COOL, SMART PERSON THINK YOU ARE COOL…” Sans quietly chuckled.  Papyrus really was too cool….

            “THESE FEELINGS… THEY MUST BE WHAT YOU ARE FEELING RIGHT NOW!  I CAN HARDLY IMAGINE WHAT IT MUST BE LIKE TO FEEL THAT WAY.  AFTER ALL, I AM VERY GREAT.  I DON’T EVER WONDER WHAT HAVING LOTS OF FRIENDS IS LIKE...”

            Sans rolled his eyes.  Papyrus, other than Sans and Undyne, did not have that many friends. It took a special monster, or human, to keep up with the lanky skeleton’s boundless energy, not to mention meet his ‘high’ standards.  “I PITY YOU, LONELY HUMAN…  WORRY NOT!  YOU SHALL BE LONELY NO LONGER!  I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, WILL BE YOUR…”

            As the short skeleton waited for the rest of Papyrus’ speech, he heard a noise that was forever engraved in his memory.  A swish and a harsh cutting sound, Papyrus making a gurgling sound.  Sans felt his sockets widen, and his body begin to quiver.  No!  Everything was going so well!  Why would Frisk kill him?

            As Sans quickly made his way to Papyrus’ side, keeping to the shadows, he caught sight of the cursed human.  Frisk, no longer smiling and open, no longer relaxed or cheerful.  Their stance was rigid and cold, their mouth turned into a disgusted snarl.  Under those once closed and peaceful eyelids, Sans could see they were open, harsh red light spilling from their irises…

            The sign of the demon.

            “You talk too much.” The child simply said, walking around Papyrus, continuing their way through the Underground.  The broken knife, now covered in Papyrus’ dust, glinted in the Underground’s artificial light.

            Sans knew that he should have immediately teleported to Alphys, warn them what was happening but he found he couldn’t.  He needed to get to Papyrus, needed to hold him before he dusted.  Finally he was in shouting reach.

            “ **Papyrus!** ” he called out, sprinting towards him, Papyrus’ back still towards him, as tears began flowing from his sockets.

            “SANS.”  Papyrus said, still standing still where the human had cut him.  “SANS… WHY WERE YOU JUST STANDING THERE? WHY DIDN’T YOU SAVE ME?  HAS THE KETCHUP REALLY AFFECTED YOU THAT MUCH?  OR DO I REALLY MEAN SO LITTLE TO YOU?” he asked, still not turning around to face him.

            Sans skidded to a stop behind Papyrus.  “ **Paps… what… what do you mean?** ” he stammered.  In all the timelines he had never heard this before.  Had Papyrus finally broken free of the Genocide cycle? And if so, why was he so mean?

            “I MEAN, WE BOTH KNOW WHAT THE HUMAN IS CAPABLE OF,” Papyrus said, “MY PART FOR THE HUMAN IS SET IN STONE.  IF I WERE TO DO ANYTHING DIFFERENT, THEY WOULD KNOW THAT THIS WORLD IS NOT ALL AS IT APPEARS.  BUT, JUST AS THEY ARE AN ANOMALY FOR US, YOU ARE AN ANOMALY FOR THEM.  YOU ARE THE ONE THAT THEY KNOW REMEMBERS THE OTHER RESETS.  THE ONE THAT IS ABLE TO STAND UP TO THEM.  THE ONE THAT IS ABLE TO KILL AND STOP THEM.  THE ONE THEY FEAR…” Papyrus froze.  “SO I HAVE ONE QUESTION FOR YOU SANS…”

            Papyrus’ neck snapped with an audible crack, but not fully.  His skull fell back, the vertebrae still barely hanging onto each other, his sockets empty.  No, not empty.  His sockets were devoid of light but dripping a black tar substance mixed with marrow.  As it began to escape his jaw, it slowly dripped down his forehead, collecting at the rounded top of his skull, before sluggishly dripping off and falling onto the white snow below, colouring it black.  As dark as Sans’ nightmares.

            “WHY DIDN’T YOU SAVE ME?” Papyrus demanded, “WHY?  ARE YOU THAT USELESS?”  as Papyrus’ body began to slowly dust, his jaw opened unnaturally wide and he began to highly screech.  It seemed like the devil inside was clawing his way out of Papyrus’ throat and attempting to escape.

            “ **no! no! no! no!** ” screamed Sans, falling to his knees as Papyrus’ skull fell, still screaming.  “ **i’m sorry!  I love you!  i’m sorry I couldn’t save you!  Papyrus!  Papyrus!** ” he screamed as Papyrus’ skull disintegrated to dust, the shrill screaming finally silenced.  He jolted back as he felt something slither against his hand.  The ooze that had escaped Papyrus had now gathered in front of him.  As if it had a mind of its own, it attacked.  Climbing Sans’ arms and femurs, covering him with the disgusting substance as it traveled up his body.  Sans gasped and chocked, trying to wipe it off of him, trying to escape its grip.  It was like a stain.  Wherever it touched it didn’t move other than to violently advance.  Jerking his skull back, causing him to look straight up at the star lights, the ooze reached his jaw and sockets and began pouring in, filling his body with the foul substance.  He attempted to scream around his mouth and throat being full of ooze, calling out for help.  Help from anybody.

            But no one came.

            He was alone again.

 

* * * * *

 

            Sans woke up with a sudden gasp, the sweat dripping off of him but luckily, luckily he didn’t scream himself awake.  ‘ **just another nightmare…** ’ he thought to himself as he lay back down on his mattress.  Mattress…

            Sans sat up again, thinking hard.  The only time that he ever woke up on his mattress was after a reset.  Every other time he had awakened he would have been on Pap’s bed… but he didn’t remember reaching the surface or dying by the kid’s hands again.  If anything…

            There was a single bone… it was erupting from the ground.  Tearing through his ribs and puncturing his soul.  His bone.  Sans’ sockets widened, remembering the fiasco of his and Paps’ Valentine’s Day.  He wondered if Papyrus remembered anything of what happened.  He didn’t remember the genocide runs, to Sans’ relief, perhaps this one would be no different?

            Well… either way, Papyrus had made his frustrations very clear.  The least that Sans could do was avoid that screaming happening again.  He never, ever wanted to drive Papyrus to that edge again.

            Swinging his legs off the mattress he shrugged on his hoodie and went to walk to the bedroom door.  Pick up his sock and check their stores of food.  Easy enough.  He had been counting a lot on Papyrus to pick up his slack lately.  No wonder he had been frustrated.  Sans saw that now.  And here Sans was supposed to be the elder, the more responsible, the wiser.  He decided that this reset, he would treat Papyrus like a king.  Like he deserved to be treated.  He would also talk to Undyne too about the Royal Guards.  Papyrus had been working so hard and had improved so much since the first reset had occurred.  His hard work needed to come to fruition and be rewarded some time eventually, right-?

            Something pulled on his leg and Sans fell, flat on his skull.  Groaning, he was surprised that he didn’t lose any HP on that fall.  Looking back to see what tripped him he saw…

            A long steel chain, attached to the other wall of his room, was looped gently around one of his ankles.  Sans felt his soul grow cold.  This… this was new.  He had never seen anything like this before.  He wasn’t even sure that the Underground had anything like this.

            But his fall had caused a bit of noise, causing the rest of the house to stir.

            He jumped, hearing his door click and open slowly, exposing a tall, lean skeleton standing in his doorway.

            Papyrus.

            “BROTHER…” his sockets softening as he stared down at Sans, using the familiar endearment.  “BROTHER.  DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH I MISSED YOU?”  Sans opened his mouth to respond but Papyrus didn’t give him a chance.  “HOW MUCH YOU SCARED ME?  YOU WILL NEVER DO THAT TO ME, EVER AGAIN SANS.”

            Papyrus stepped into the dirty room and, crouching down beside Sans, scooped him into his arms and hugged him closely.  “ **heh.  so i guess you remember what happened last reset?** ” Sans finally asked, wrapping his arms around the other. 

            “INDEED SANS.  THE LAST RESET AND EVERY OTHER RESET.” Papyrus said, a sudden deep chill to his voice.

            Sans froze.  Papyrus’ voice was different.  Gone was the carefree, happy-go-lucky, cheerful tone.  Gone was the internal smile.  Here he was cold, calculating… not like his Papyrus at all.  Leaning back as far as he could, Papyrus still keeping his arms around him, not letting him escape, Sans really looked into Papyrus’ eyes.

            At first they looked normal.  Large open sockets with orange irises.  But as Sans peered closer, the colour seemed a bit off.  Instead of a fruity orange colour, his irises were a deep orange, like someone had mixed in a splotch of red, or a drop of darkness to them.

            Darkness…. Cold and calculating?

            His teeth too were different.  Instead of square and bulky, they had become narrower and slightly curved.  He even had two front fangs that hadn’t been immediately noticeable.  And his skull… his skull was more sharply angled.  More… more pointed.

            “ **who… who are you?** ” Sans demanded, attempting to squirm out of Papyrus’ grip.  “ **who the hell are you and what have you done to Papyrus?** ”

            Papyrus chuckled as he tightened his grip on the smaller skeleton.  “SANS…. DON’T YOU RECOGNIZE ME?  SURE I MAY HAVE UNDERGONE SOME CHANGES FROM THE LAST TIME YOU SAW ME, BUT HAVE I REALLY CHANGED THAT MUCH THAT YOU DON’T RECOGNIZE ME?” he asked.

Sans quit squirming when he saw how useless it was.  “ **what happened last time?** ” he demanded.

            “AFTER YOU COMMITTED SUICIDE…” here Papyrus’ voice broke a little and he pulled Sans closer to him, the chain clinking, reminding Sans of how truly trapped he was, “FRISK ONCE AGAIN FELL INTO THE RUINS.  THEY LOOKED FOR YOU EVERYWHERE.  I DIDN’T KNOW THAT YOU TWO WERE SUCH GOOD FRIENDS…” he told Sans questionably.

            Sans didn’t dare say anything.  This new Papyrus scared him, caused his marrow to run cold.  But, deep down, it was still Papyrus… his Papyrus…

            Right?

            “AFTER THEY COULDN’T FIND YOU, THEY GAVE UP AND CONTINUED THEIR WAY THROUGH THE FOREST. SOLVING MY PUZZLES WITH GREAT EASE.  IT WASN’T UNTIL AFTER THEY CROSSED THE BRIDGE THAT THEY REALIZED THAT I WAS WEARING YOUR COAT.”

            Papyrus chuckled darkly, as if he had played a great, evil trick on someone.

            “I TOLD THEM THAT YOU HAD FALLEN DOWN.  THAT THE CONSTANT GAMES OF RESETS HAD GOTTEN THE BEST OF YOU.  FRISK, OF COURSE, BLAMED THEMSELVES, AND FINISHED TRAVELING THE UNDERGROUND.  THEY BROUGHT EVERYONE TO THE SURFACE SANS… IT WAS BEAUTIFUL.  YOU SHOULD HAVE SEEN THE SUN SETTING.  IT STILL GETS ME EVERY TIME…” he trailed off, staring at a darkened wall, for a moment sounding like his old self again.

            Sans still said nothing.  “A COUPLE DAYS ON THE SURFACE AND I SPOKE TO FRISK.  I HAD POLITELY ASKED THEM WHEN THEY WERE PLANNING ON RESETTING, AS TO BRING YOU BACK.  DO YOU KNOW WHAT THEY TOLD ME, SANS?” Papyrus asked, the gaze returning to the skeleton in his arms.

            Sans gulped and looked away from those eyes.  Once again, cold and calculating…. Even a tad manipulative.  “ **wh-what did-did they say Pap?** ” he asked, shakily.

            Long fingers grasped his chin and pulled his skull up, forcing him to look at Papyrus.  “LOOK AT ME WHEN I’M TALKING TO YOU SANS.” He ordered.

            With a small gulp, Sans nodded.  “ **sure… sure thing… Paps.** ” he said lamely, attempting to hide his shaking voice with his too large smile.

            Instead Papyrus genuinely smiled at him, stroking his cheek.  “FRISK REFUSED TO RESET.  SAID THAT THEY OWED IT TO YOU NEVER TO RESET.  THAT THEY UNDERSTOOD NOW OF WHAT THEY WERE REALLY DOING TO YOU.  TO THE REST OF THE GROUP.  THAT THEY WISHED TO HONOUR YOUR MEMORY AND KEEP THE PROMISE THAT THEY MADE TO YOU ALL THOSE TIMES AGO…” Papyrus looked off into the distance, pondering, leaving Sans to his thoughts.

            How many resets ago did Sans ask, beg the kid to stop.  To think of what they were doing to Papyrus, to themselves, to Asriel and the rest of the group each time they reset the Underground?  He lost count and lost hope that the kid would ever keep their promise.

            A dark laugh surprised Sans, jolting him back to Papyrus.  But he looked anything like his Papyrus.  “SO I FORCED THEM TO RESET,” Papyrus said, a crazed look in his eye sockets, “AND EVERYTHING, ALL MY MEMORIES, CAME BACK TO ME.”

            That didn’t sound good.  “ **wh-wh-what do you me-mean by that, Pap?** ” asked Sans.

            Papyrus grinned, exposing his sharpened teeth.  “I KILLED THEM.  IT WAS REMARKABLY EASY.  HUMANS ARE SO SQUISHY… SO FULL OF FLUID.  MY BONE WENT RIGHT THROUGH THEM, BREAKING THEIR SOUL.  THEN… ALL THOSE RESETS CAME BACK TO ME.  THE GENOCIDE RUNS.  I, STANDING THERE WITH OPEN ARMS, GRANTING THEM MERCY, ATTEMPTING TO SHOW THEM A BETTER WAY.  AND YET, YET THEY CUT ME OPEN, DUST ME WHERE I STAND.”  Papyrus smirked.  “I EVEN TELL THEM THAT THEY CAN STILL DO BETTER, THAT IT ISN’T TOO LATE FOR THEM.  THAT THEY CAN STILL CHANGE AND SAVE THEIR SOUL… AND THEY DON’T.  TIME AND TIME AGAIN…

            “I ALSO REMEMBER BEING BY YOUR SIDE AS YOU FOUGHT THEM.  YOU NEVER SAW ME OF COURSE BUT I LIKE TO THINK THAT YOU FELT MY PRESENCE.  WHY YOU WORE MY SCARF AROUND YOUR NECK.  I REMEMBER CHEERING BOTH YOU AND THE HUMAN ON, STILL BELIEVING IN THEM.  URGING THEM TO WALK AWAY FROM THE FIGHT.  TO RESET.  TO BRING ME BACK TO YOU…” Papyrus gave a little pause to his speech, resettling Sans against him.  “I SEE THEM KILLING YOU…” he said darkly.  “OVER AND OVER AGAIN.  IT OCCURRED TO ME THEN THAT THE HUMAN DOES NOT WISH FOR MERCY.  INSTEAD THEY WISH FOR POWER, AND CONTROL.”

            Sans gulped.  This new Papyrus was something else.  Perhaps is never ending optimism had clouded his judgement and his thought process?

            “THIS TIME, WHEN THE UNDERGROUND COMPLETED ITS RESET, I WOKE IMMEDIATELY AND CAME TO SEE IF YOU HAD RETURNED.  MY PLAN HAD WORKED TO PERFECTION.  YOU WERE ALIVE AND WELL.  BUT I COULDN’T LET THE HUMAN KILL YOU AGAIN.  YOU’RE TOO FRAGILE SANS,” he cooed, “WITH YOUR ONE HP YOU ARE A VERY EASY TARGET.  FROM NOW ON YOU AREN’T ALLOWED ANYWHERE WITHOUT ME CLOSE BY.  I SHALL PROTECT YOU SANS…” he whispered, pulling their jaws closer.  “NOW THAT I KNOW WHAT THE HUMAN IS CAPABLE OF, I WILL PROTECT YOU NOW…” he said, clanking their jaws together.

            Sans whimpered into the kiss as Papyrus dipped him back, laying him out on his back.  “I OWN YOU NOW SANS,” he said, hovering over him, stroking one of Sans’ femurs.  “YOU BELONG TO ME, NO ONE ELSE WILL HAVE YOU.”

 

* * * * *

            Boss and Berry popped through the portal of Undertale, hidden deep in the forests.  Berry starting to giggle as Boss scooped him up and under his arm.  “Boss.” he complained half-heartedly, “Boss, put me down.”

            Boss shook his head, red pupils dancing with mirth.  “ **NOT A CHANCE.  WE ARE ALREADY RUNNING BEHIND, WE DON’T NEED TO TAKE ANY LONGER BECAUSE YOUR SHORT LEGS CAN’T KEEP UP WITH ME.”**

            Berry huffed.  “It’ll be you who’s the slowpoke,” he countered, “you didn’t have to wear all your armour.  It just slows you down.”  Berry explained, tapping Boss’ dark, and heavy, chest plate.

            He was about to reply back when a familiar scent caught Boss’ attention.  Signalling Berry to be very quiet, he started to make his way to the edge of the treeline.  His red, slightly heeled boots didn’t make a sound through the crisp snow.  As he approached the source of the smell Berry gasped.  “It’s the ruins!” he urgently whispered.

            As Boss came out of the trees, he saw that it was indeed the ruins.  The gate had been forced open from the wrong way, like someone from the outside, wanted in.  He carefully made their way closer.

            Nudging the door open just a tad more he saw and heard nothing except for the slightly displaced fibers forming footsteps on the carpeted hallway.  Urging his way in, he let Berry down, signalling him to stay close.  There was a reason Boss was the second in charge of the Underfell’s Royal Guard.  Undyne counted on him for his cunning, for his stealth.  As both of the skeletons followed the hallway, the smell of became stronger, even Berry, as unused to it as he was, he too could smell it now.

            Quietly and carefully making their way up the stairs, Boss came face to face with his worst fears in the kitchen.  A dusty purple dress lay in an armchair by a cold fireplace, signs of a sharpened object springing from the chair, painfully present.  On closer inspection of the floor it showed the smallest bone fragments.

            A bone attack.

            He looked down at his mate.  Berry had let out a tiny whimper, but didn’t burst into tears or approach.  “Who… who could do such a thing?” Berry asked of him, staring at the remains of Toriel.

            Boss, ever the strong and quiet one, merely shrugged.  From Berry’s stories there were two skeletons in this universe, though there had always been rumours of a third, of Gaster.  But why would Gaster kill the queen?  It didn’t make any sense.

            Exiting the castle Boss and Berry continued their way through the ruins.  To Berry’s horror, there were little dust piles everywhere.  It seemed like the creatures of the ruins had not been spared either.

            Boss and Berry finally made their way to the old oak tree.  Berry had turned to say something to Boss when something caught his eye.

            Or, more accurately, someone.

            “Comic!” he gasped, rushing over to the Tale Sans, Boss following close after.

            The other skeleton had turned his head when he heard the noise.  He was tied to the tree like a dog, a leash wrapped around a lower branch, attached to a collar.  “ **no!** ” he urgently whispered, Berry realizing with a jolt that he was missing a tooth.  “ **get away!  get away!** ”

            “SANS!  WHO ARE YOU TALKING TO?” a loud, almost familiar voice said.

            Berry froze, looking up at where Rus had suddenly appeared.  He was almost unrecognizable.  His pupils had gone from light orange in colour to a deep red, similar to Boss’, his teeth were sharpened.  His battle body was coated in dust, as was his bone sword.  And there was a deranged grin on his skull.

            The grin grew when it saw Berry.  “BERRY!” he said, “IS TODAY THE DAY YOU AND BOSS WERE COMING TO VISIT?  I’M TERRIBLY SORRY, I THOUGHT IT WAS TOMORROW…” he grabbed Comic’s leash and untied him from the tree.

            “GOOD THING I AM ALWAYS PREPARED AT A MOMENT’S NOTICE!” he said with a slight nyeh.  He tugged on the leash and Comic stumbled towards him.  “LET’S GO!” he said.  “MY WORLD CLASS SPAGHETTI AWAITS!”

            Berry and Boss looked at each other.  Berry was stunned.  He had never seen Rus like this before.  Boss grabbed Berry and pulled him up and close to his chest plate, carefully watching his double’s back.

            There was nothing that they could do now but wait it out.  Wait for the next reset.

            And hope that it gets better…. Eventually.

**Author's Note:**

> Leave a kudos or a comment! Always helps a busy beaver feel good about her work!


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